List of ''Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah'' characters

Jethalal Champaklal Gada

The role is played by Dilip Joshi. He is the main central character around whom the story usually revolves. Jethalal is not very tall, is overweight and has small moustache. Although he is an honest businessman, ideal son, perfect husband and loving father, he is also very careless, forgetful and lazy. He is a late riser. He is a foodie and loves to eat meals prepared by his wife Daya, and also a Gujarati snack called Jalebi Fafda. Jethalal is often scolded by his father Champaklal, for being strict with his son Tapu and wife Daya. Because of this reason Jethalal is scared of his father, but still respects him a lot and is always shown touching his feet for blessings every now and then. He is protective about Tapu when Bhide accuses him for mischief and often ends up fighting with him. He is the proprietor of 'Gada Electronics'. Jethalal is usually called Jethiya by Champaklal, Tapu ke papa by Daya, Jethaji by Babita and Jethabhai by other ladies society members. Though Jethalal loves his wife Daya dearly, he has a secret crush on Babita and leaves no chance to impress her. Whenever he leaves for his shop in the morning and meets Babita in the society compound, his wife Daya comes to the balcony and unknowingly embarrasses him in front of Babita. His luck is the worst and consequently he gets trapped into problems. Jethalal is always very distraught about his brother-in-law Sundar, who always makes him pay thousands of rupees of taxi fare and also makes him pay for his expenses whenever they meet and Jethalal knows Sundar will never repay him the money. But he keeps quite because he does not want to hurt Daya who loves her brother a lot and is not aware of the cold war between them. He is shown to be very tensed about his father who usually gets lost; his mischievous son Tapu who instigates secretary Bhide to fight with him; his employee Nattu Kaka who always demands a hike in his salary and Baagha who along with his business ideas and fiancée Bawri irritates him. His main enemy is Krishnan Iyer, husband of Babita, whom he tries to keep away when he and Babita are together. His best friend is Taarak Mehta, who acts as his troubleshooter and Jethalal calls Taarak Mehta "fire brigade" as he helps him in his troubles. Jethalal loves to eat Jalebi-Fafda, a famous Gujarati snack. He is often shown cladding designer shirts and garish clothes.

It is also believed that this show cannot go on without Jethalal aka Dilip Joshi, as he attracts a majority of the audience.

Daya Jethalal Gada

Aka Daya Bhabhi and Dayaben. The role is essayed by Disha Vakani. She is the wife of Jethalal and the daughter-in-law of Gada family. She is from Ahmedabad and is popularly referred to as Garba Queen as she loves playing Garba, a Gujarati dance. She is a responsible and dedicated homemaker mostly busy in household chores. Dayaben is very innocent and naive and loves her family, she is a very caring neighbour. Jethalal is fond of her culinary skills. Dayaben enjoys close bonding with her mother Jeevdaya (Yesodhara) and brother Sundar, whom she calls Sundar Veera. Dayaben is a devoted wife and never refers Jethalal by name, instead she calls him Tapu ke Papa, meaning “Tapu’s father”. She is a little superstitious and believes in black magic, ghosts and bad luck etc. Dayaben is very religious and worships Amba Mata or Maata Ji. She usually says “Heh Maa, Maata Ji” holding her hands to her head, whenever she is surprised, forgets something, or thinks some bad is to happen. Daya loves cooking and serving food to guests. For this, she is also called 'Annapoorna' in the show and all of Gokuldham’s residents are fond of her cooking. She offers tea and breakfast to almost every visitor to their house. She speaks in a typical high pitched Gujarati accent. She is always seen wearing a Gujarati sari with a traditional hairdo, except for some special occasions. The role of Dayaben and her unique comic timing with Jethalal is one of the chief reasons for the popularity of the show.

Champaklal Jayantilal Gada

Aka Champak Chacha. The role is essayed by Amit Bhatt. He is the father of Jethalal who immigrated from ancestral village of Gada family, Bhachau, to live with the family of Jethalal in Mumbai. He is a widower and is eccentric and temperamental in nature. Despite being nearly 69 years old, he is more energetic than Jethalal. He performs Pranayam and Yoga and is active member of Young Old Group, a small group founded by him and his friends. Champaklal loves his whole family and enjoys special bonding with his grandson Tapu. He always takes the side of Tapu and Daya whenever Jethalal scolds them. Due to his supreme decision making authority, Jethalal is often sidelined in family matters. He loves Jethalal with his whole heart but shows it on very rare occasions. He always scolds Jethalal and angrily calls him babuchak and “akkal vagar no dhandho”. He calls Jethalal as Jethiya, Tapu as Tapuda, and Daya as “Bahu”. He also has nicknames for the whole purush mandal as he calls, Taarak Mehta as Mehtoos, Popatlal as Dibba and Bhide as Bhindi Master, Dr. Haathi as “Haathida” and Iyer as “Iyerdi”. However, Champaklal is a fatherly figure for Gokuldham residents. He is always given immense respect and is involved in decision making process. Everyone calls him Chachaji and whole Tapusena calls him Dadaji. Champaklal always acts as a peacemaker in issues and verbal spats. He is also very fond of Daya’s cooking skills and has Mehta be his troubleshooter when Jetha is not available.

Although his original character, as written in "Duniya ne Undha Chashmah" by Taarak Mehta, is rebellious, rustic and ever quarrelling, in the show he is loyal to Gandhian principles and abhors unethical practices such as theft, quarrels and corruption. He is strictly against alcohol and dislikes people who drink. Champaklal looks exactly like his father, the Late Jayantilal Bhimji Gada who in the show was a freedom fighter during the British rule.

Tipendra Jethalal Gada

Mostly known as Tapu. The role is played by Raj Anadkat (2017–present)/Bhavya Gandhi (2008 July -2017). He is the son of Jethalal. Tapu enjoys close bonding with his grandfather Champaklal who always shields him from the wrath of Jethalal for participating in mischievous activities. He is the leader of Tapu Sena, the gang of society's children. Tapu is now grown up and college going teenager. Tapu is good in academics and sports. In earlier episodes, he was shown to be very mischievous, often creating chaos and nuisance in the society which earned him ire of both Jethalal and the secretary Bhide. However, the grown up, matured Tapu is now capable of solving many miscellaneous problems and also indulges in social service. He is called “Tapuda” by Champaklal and “Tapu Dikka” by Daya.^[4]

Taarak Mehta

A.k.a. Mehta Saab/Saheb. The role is essayed by Shailesh Lodha. It is based on the character of the writer, on whose book the entire show is based. He is considered to be the most intelligent among all the members living in Gokuldham Society. He is a writer and poet by profession. He works in a trading company. He rapidly thinks of solution for any problem and excuses to tell his wife and boss. He is the best friend, mentor and troubleshooter of Jethalal. He is called "Fire Brigade" by Jethalal as he is always there for him when he needs him. He is aware about Jethalal's crush on Babita. Taarak's wife Anjali Mehta who acts as his dietitian strictly controls his diet chart. He is modern, open minded and loves Anjali from the bottom of his heart although he really dislikes the diet food prepared by her, and constantly tries to come up with excuses to avoid eating the diet food.

Anjali Taarak Mehta

Aka Anjali Bhabhi, Anjali Taarak Mehta. The role is essayed by Neha Mehta. She is sometimes called as ATM, the acronym of her name (Anjali Tarak Mehta). She is a dietitian and exercises regularly. She strictly controls the diet chart of her husband Taarak Mehta. Anjali is smart, intelligent, wise, understanding and mature. She always cares about her husband's health.

Aatmaram Tukaram Bhide

The role is essayed by Mandar Chandwadkar. As he is the secretary of the society, he proudly calls himself Gokuldham Society ka Ekmeva Secretary. Bhide is a very responsible, honest, principled and caring human being. He treats every problem of the society as his own. He always remembers to collect the maintenance cheques from all members and gets irritated when they don’t give the checks on time. As Bhide's modest income is insufficient to meet family needs, he actively gives tuitions to students who need help with studies as he was a school teacher in the past. That's why many a times he tries to spend less money on luxurious things. He also assists his wife in the business of homemade pickles and papads and also in household chores and because of this is adored by the ladies of the society. During any gathering Bhide addresses residents of Gokuldham after giving them his full introduction (Ekmeva Secretary) which often irritates them. Bhide is always reminiscent of old days and loves antique things. He owns a yellow scooter named 'Sakharam' gifted by his wife and considers it as a family member. He daily writes suvichar (daily thought) on the notice board of the society. Bhide has a love-hate relationship with Jethalal. And because of his disapproval of Tapu’s mischief, he tries to keep Sonu away from Tapusena, but in vain. Bhide is often irritated by irresponsible behavior of Jethalal, mischief conducted by Tapu (his playing cricket and other mischief). However, both Jethalal and Bhide wholeheartedly help each other during crisis period. While most people refer to him as Bhide, Iyer is the only person who addresses him by his first name i.e. "Aatmaram", Sodhi mostly calls him "Phidu", Dr. Hathi calls him Bhide Master while Champaklal always calls him "Bhindi master".

Madhavi Aatmaram Bhide

Aka Madhavi Bhabhi, the role is essayed by Sonalika Joshi. She is the wife of Aatmaram Bhide, secretary of Gokuldham Society. Madhavi Bhide is an educated, intelligent homemaker. She too, like Daya, almost always wears sarees with a traditional hairdo and does not refer to Bhide by his name and instead calls him “Aaho”. As Aatmaram's modest income as a tuition teacher is insufficient to meet family needs, she domestically prepares pickle and Papadum for supplying in the market. She also tries making excuses without hurting him when Bhide starts telling her about his old days as she is bored listening to them every other time. Madhavi always mediates in verbal spats that involve her husband. She has good relations with all members of the society.

Sonu aka Sonalika Aatmaram Bhide

Mostly known as Sonu. The role is essayed by Nidhi Bhanushali (2012–present)/Jheel Mehta (2008-2012). She is the daughter of Bhide and Madhavi. Sonalika is also an active member of Tapusena and is in the same college as that of Tapu, Goli and Pinku. She is a bright student, who has always scored good percentage and secured first position in the class. Sonu is also very smart and judicious among whole Tapusena. She has often shown her culinary skills by making delicious chocolates.^[5]

Roshan Singh Sodhi

The role is essayed by Gurucharan Singh (2008-2013, 2014–present)/Laad Singh Maan (2013-2014). Roshan Singh Harjeet Singh Sodhi, mostly known as Sodhi, is very enthusiastic, daredevilish, optimistic, energetic and strong but naive. He is short tempered and lashes out anyone trying to mess with residents of Gokuldham Society and usually says “Main tenu chadanga nai!” whenever he is angry. He owns a garage called 'Sodhi Garage' and has a Jeep. He is a devout Sikh and always ready to help others. Sodhi is a man with golden heart and he freely expresses his romantic feelings towards his wife who is also named Roshan. He is also very fond of his son Gurucharan Singh Sodhi aka Gogi and pampers him a lot. Sodhi enjoys drinking and always encourages the purush mandal to plan for secret parties. Sodhi is shown as a jaunty, lively and energetic man who often picks up others in his arms whenever he is excited. Sometimes, in rare cases his is also shown as a dimwitted person who is unable to understand the obvious jokes. Also, Sodhi is the only person in Gokuldham Society who owns a four-wheeler (an open Jeep) and he often gives rides to the residents of Gokuldham to drop them where they need to go.

Roshan Kaur Roshan Singh Sodhi

Aka Roshan Bhabhi. It is played by Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal (2008-2013, 2016–present)/Dilkhush Reporter (2013-2016). She is a Parsi woman.She is very innocent. She loathes her husband's drinking habits so much that she once even went as far as to leave their house. She also reciprocates her romantic feelings about Sodhi openly, but is sometimes shy.

Gurucharan Singh Roshan Singh Sodhi

Mostly known as Gogi. It is played by Samay Shah. He is the youngest member of the society. He is similar to his father in nature. Gogi is also the member of Tapusena but is in junior class. He is the most pampered child of the society and is very naive which is why he gets into trouble a lot. He is also comical and jokes even in the worst of situations.

Krishnan Subramaniam Iyer

The role is essayed by Tanuj Mahashabde. Iyer is a Tamilan and hails from Chennai and thus, his Hindi is not very clear. Iyer is a scientist. He is very protective about Babita and skeptic about intentions of Jethalal. Both Iyer and Jethalal publicly fight and indulge in verbal spat with each other on many occasions. They both attempt to showoff and make fun of each other in front of Babita. Iyer has given a lot of gifts and surprises to Babita and he always tries to keep Jethalal away from her. He is also the treasurer of Gokuldham Society. Iyer is the only person who addresses secretary Bhide by his first name i.e. "Aatmaram".

Babita Krishnan Iyer

Aka Babitaji. The role is essayed by Munmun Dutta. She is fair and the most gorgeous and fashionable lady of Gokuldham Society. Babita is the wife of Iyer. She is from a Bengali family and belongs to Kolkata. Babita is very smart, educated, intelligent and mature lady. However, she is very modern and not comfortable with household chores. She is fluent in Hindi, English and Bengali. Babita is a member of the Gokuldham Mahila Mandal. She treats both Jethalal and Dayaben as her good friend, and is unaware about Jethalal’s crush on her. She usually talks to Jethalal in the morning through her balcony and Jethalal is always praising her and leaves no chance to impress her. In the initial episodes, she was shown as a good dancer. Babita is very conscious about her physical fitness. She keeps herself fit by indulging in exercising, jogging, yoga, swimming, etc.

Dr. Hansraj Hathi

Aka Haathi Bhai or Hans or Hathida. The role was played by Nirmal Soni (2008–2009,2018-Present)/Kavi Kumar Azad (2009–2018). Hansraj Hathi is a doctor by profession. He is suffering from obesity. Dr. Hathi is a voracious eater. He is very kind, humorous and positive. His attention is always focused on eating even during serious discussions. He usually says Sahi Baat Hai (that's right) on all issues. The actor playing this character, Kavi Kumar Azad, died on July 9, 2018 due to a sudden heart attack in Mumbai. ^[6] Later, Nirmal Soni was confirmed as a replacement of the deseased actor to continue the role as the new Dr. Haathi as he was playing same role in 2008 when the show started. He came after 10 years of his work and 2.5 months after Kavi Kumar Azad's Death. While finding replacement for Dr Haathi , In the serial it was said Hans has gone to Kerala for a health campaign ^[7].

Komal Hansraj Hathi

Aka Komal Bhabhi. The role is played by Ambika Ranjankar. She is the wife of Dr. Hathi. Komal Hathi is a homemaker but is very protective of her family. She is confident, strong and funny. She dislikes her husband’s eating habits but is not very hard on him. Komal Hathi is an active member of Mahila Mandal and gives ideas to make the society even better. She usually says "Oh come on". However, she gets a bit competitive at times.

Gulabkumar Hansraj Hathi

Mostly known as Goli. The role is essayed by Kush Shah. He is an active member of Tapusena. He is strong and very cunning. Goli wants to enter into his father's footstep and aspires to become a doctor. He is also a voracious eater like his father and loves the food prepared by his mother and Dayaben. He is also a little overweight. He is often seen making fun of Jethalal in various instances and drawing Jethalal's ire in return. Bhide mostly calls him Golya whenever he irritates him.